Box Score
WINNIPEG – Scoring twice in the second period to break a 1-1 deadlock the Lethbridge Pronghorn men's hockey team put an end to a end to a four game losing streak with a 4-2 win over the Manitoba Bisons in game one of a two game set.
Lethbridge climbs to 3-3-3 in the Canada West standings and Manitoba falls to 4-5-0 on the season.
The Pronghorns took the lead early. At 13:57 of the first, the Pronghorns lit the lamp on their fourth shot on goal. Lethbridge center Russell Maxwell redirected a point shot fired by Tyler Hansen into the top corner past Bison goalie Justin Paulic.
At 8:51, Bison Jonah Wasylak drew a holding call on Artsiom Kalashnikov giving the Bisons the first power play of the game. On the play, Pronghorns Ryan Chynoweth was shaken up on a clean body check and did not return.
Manitoba capitalized on the power play. Bison captain Jordan DePape lifted the puck of the extended glove of Garret Hughson.
Just minutes later at 6:48, Pronghorn Justin Valentino took a minor for high-sticking behind the Bison goal. The penalty expired and Valentino received a breakaway pass that was thwarted by a great defensive effort from Rene Hunter.
Lethbridge took the lead early in the second. At 16:46, Maxwell picked up his second point of the game as Torrin White used his skate to deflect a soft pass from Tryon Moser past Paulic.
Just over eight minutes to go in the second, the home side wrung a bouncing puck off the post. The referee in the endzone was on top of the play and indicated emphatically that the puck hit the post.
Joel Schreyer interference on a late hit in the Pronghorns corner as the play was leaving the zone called at 7:57. The power play was killed off.
Vanentino fired a hard pass to Brandon Clowes who went in on Paulic on a two-on-one electing the rip the puck low, blocker side at 2:38 of the second.
The Herd outshot the Pronghorns 11-5 in the second for a game total of 24-12
.
Dasan Sydora took the pipes for the Bisons to start the third.
Bison Shaq Merasty earned a tripping penalty on an awkward play in the corner to the right of Hughson at 9:52 of the third.
Just after the power play opportunity, Kalashnikov dished the puck to Clint Filbrant who made a sweet forehand backhand deke to slide the puck through Sydora's five-hole at 7:19 giving the Pronghorns a commanding 4-1 lead.
Bison time-out called at 3:32 of the third and pulled their goaltender for the extra attacker playing 6-on-4. Battling the corner DePape worked the puck to Justin Augert who wired a seeing-eye passed to Merasty to one-time between the legs of Hughson at 2:46.
Third period shots favoured the Bisons by a 9-8 margin with a game total of 36 to 20.
Pronghorns goaltender Garrett Hughson earned the game's first star in a superb performance with 34 saves turning away a flurry of challenging shots from the Herd. Second star was Moser from Lethbridge and DePape was third star for the hosts.
The rematch occurs on Saturday November 12 at 1 p.m. CST and will be streamed live on canadawest.tv
